Beshear Says Ky. Third In Car Production Nationally

Beshear said Monday that only Ohio and Michigan produced more vehicles in the first half of 2013. And he said Kentucky is on pace to surpass last year's production total of more than 1 million vehicles.

The second-term Democrat said growth in the automobile industry means more jobs and a stronger economy in Kentucky.

Last year, the state's four assembly plants produced 1,025,730 vehicles. Beshear said he expects to top that this year by some 290,000 vehicles.

Kentucky has plants that produce Ford and Toyota as well as GM's sporty Corvette. The state also has more than 450 automobile-related plants.